Draft-gear.



H. C. PRIEBE.

DRAFT GEAR` APPLICATION FILED JULY 22.1915.

Patented Oct. 29, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l,

HERMAN C. PRIEBE, OF BLUE SLAND, ILLINOIS.

:eimer-enne.

lle yit llinnvn that L lili-innen C. lln'nnna, citizen ol the lUniiei'll'ralcs,V residing nl', Blue lslanil. in the county of Cook and State of illinois, have invented a certain new -n'nil usel'ul linprm'enient in @rafl- Geargol' which lhe followingis a full, Clelll., CONC/iet', and exael'. description.

Illy invention relates to dra'li gears of the type employing: inner and outer lfi'illowers actuated b v couplers, rockers indiridual lo lhe followers 'and lmovable lthereby, and ineens, operating; ihrougrrh said rockers, lior resisting' The approach of lhelollowers lo ward each olher. This niolion resisting-2 nienns is preferably in the form of" spring' mechanism,ypartienlarly where i'riclion not relied-.upon lo resist he relative Inoveineni; of lhe followers.

It is the. object oil' my inveniion to iniprove Jthe conslruetion and arrangehlenl of the component part-s of the `e'ear which` have been named whereby the desired elli n.liveness jin operation may he secured willi the moet simple construction or' gear.

In practising iny invention l elnploy nt least liwo 'or more sets'oi rockers, each' sel: having' one rocker iinli'vidnal toeaeh follower and inovahlelthereby. The two roeliers ol" each see iiiieraci `prefierably hy providing Jehem with opposed engaging curved 'lares and are interposed between lhe motion resisting 111eansJvhi fh is subdivided inlzo iwo elements, each elenimil'rbeingindividual io a follower and in nlineinent wilh the oiher eleinenl'Y and with both followers. lnleracting' rockers are assembled with a lioaling retaining hloeloor member eonunon theretn that prevents lie rockers Afrom 'lalling' onli, which may happen in lhe event ol breakage or distortion oie lille eenl'er sills and other paris oli tlieulider strueiure of illeI car. A i

I will explain niy in venltion more fully by reference lo (thel aecinnpanyine` drawings showing'ihe preferred einbodiinenl' thereof and in which illignrefl is a sectional view teken ggjenerzlllv lon 'line l-l oi Fie'. il; Fig.

hen generally on line `a seiii'oinil view 4on ser-lionel view 'il is a view illus-- i Y 1 k. on line elf-lol l' 1g.

'trailing Sonie of tlieelenienls appearingl in l* e l lont in changedpositions; lf'y'. 3 is a eclivelview illustraeine)v :i Lr'ollower and Speeication of Letters Pa tent.

Talented Ueli. 2li, 15H3.

Application filed 'uly 22, ll'f Serial No. 246,129.

'two rockers belonging lo different sets and each individual to said follower; and Fig'. T is a perspee'ive view lillustrating a lloal' in;r hloek between the sels; ol' followers.

Like paris are indicated lnsiinilar charaelers'o'f reference throughout the (lillereni figures.

The eonplerl has a eouplersluink2te whieh the `ouier ends of a yoke 3 arA secured by ineansofrivelsorboll's if. v 5 is engaged by the coupler butt 6 and is nioved inwardly whenever Vthe coupler is subject to -suliieient pushing; sl'rain. rlfhe inner 'follower i" is engaged by l'he inner end ofihe coupler yoke and is niovahle outwardly when the coupler is subject lo sullieien'y pullini,Y strain. The exlent loy which the oul'er follower is niovable ouiwardly is lilniied by lhe outer stops ll. The extent lo wliieh the inner Afollower 7 is movable inwardly is limited by `the inner stops S). Allol' said stops are riveted against Ithe center sills l() thai'y forni a part of the under'f 'aine slructure of a ear equipped willi the dralt gear. 'll'le-fi'illowers 5 and 7 are in the nature of spring barrels which house the cooperating spring elelnenls ll and l2 of mechanism that is employed lo resist lhc movement of either follower toward the other and to effl'ect the return of the'lollowers toward the stops ref'ipectively perlaining' thereto.

. One or more sels of rockers are disposed beween the followers. I have illustrated two sets of rockers. each set including a rocker 13 individual to the onlne-r` follower and a rocker 14 individual to the inner follower 7. i v

`The outer follower 5 carries Lwo seats or inountings 5,1, one for each rocker 13 to rook upon. The inner vfollower 7, similarly, earries two seats or mountings 7", one for each. rocker 14- to rock upon. All of the rockers are of similar construction, the rockers of eaf'h set being synnnelrically in'ranged.

They inleraet preferably by being pressed in direct engagement hy the coiled springs lL 'l2 of the motion resisting mechanism, diese sprintery serving to oppose the relalive movement olflhe followers by opposing arlenrlant, follower effected rocking movement or, l'he rockers. The rockers ol' eaeh set, where in engagement, are formed willi curved engaging' 1faces whereby ejzieh` rocher olf' a Set causes the oilier rocker of the saine sel to turn upon its scat or mounting'.

An outer follower 'sirably placed upright,

.follower 5 is provided Each rock-er has la part thereof which is in engagement with the seat provided upon the ollowei individual thereto curved to form a segment of a cylinder, the seat upon the follower engaged thereby being. similarly curved. By this construction each rocker l vbetween which the rockers 13 are disposed `or gear.

and the follower 7 is provided with outer' ledges 72 between which the rockers 1t are disposed, ers from moving up and down materially. Eat-ch of the opposed engaging curved. faces of the rockers of each set has its distance from the axis of the rocker increased as such curvature approaches the axis of the springs his formation of the curvature permits the approach of either follower to- ,19 in their ward the other when the gear is subject to' sufficient pushing or pulling strain.

By the arrangement illustrated each spring acts upon both rockers of a set and the. rockers form a mot-ion resisting means between the-springs, all of these elements thus being interacting when either follower is in motion. Moreover, the entire structure is very compact, being embraced between the sidesof the yoke and the center sills.

A floating block or member 16 is interposed between and inelosed by the rockers yof each set.f This block is preferably hollow and has two projections 17 that extend longitudinally of the blocks and horizontally` of the gear into vthe bores of .the

springs aswell as the with the followers in the event ofthe breakage or distortion of the center sill or other parts of the under structure. ln order that said block may thus be inclosed by the rockers said rockers are provided with recesses and bottom walls l!) which have the opposed engaging curved faces of recesses 1S are `of such size as jointly to form a substantially closed space adapted to .retain the floating member .in all positions of the rockers without necessitating separation of their engaged eirved faces. In order that the floating member nia v not be loose the inner and outer upright walls thereof are constantly engaged by the ciii'ved faces 2() of the rockers.'

lVhile l have larly described the preferred embodimentI of my invention li do not wish to be limited .to the precise details of construction shown as changes may readily he made without dcparting from the spirit of my invention, but

ledges 52.

these ledges preventing the rock-W from the inner and outer ends y :dined springs the rockers being thus Y maintained in assembly with each other and opposing faces between their topy the rockers; These herein shown and partici,4

. other;

`ing `rockers, one rocker leach follower individual to'each follower, for resisting the approach of A the follon being individual to each follower and actuatahle thereby, said rockers being interposed between and engaged by'said springs; and a floating member iii'asseinblymaintaining relation to said rockers.

2. A draft gear including a coupler; in'

ner and outer followers actuated thereby and movable each toward the other; motion resisting elements, one, individual vto each follower, for resisting the approach ofthe followers toward each otherytwo interactbeing individual to each follower and actiiatable thereby, said rockers being interposed between and engaged by said motion resisting elements; anda floating member in assembly maintaining relation to said rockers.

3. A draft gear includingi` ner and outer followers` actuated thereby and movable each-toward the other; springs, one individual to each ing the approach of the followerstoward each other; two interacting rockers, one rocker being fulcrumed upon each follower and actuatabl thereby, said rockers.

being interposedA between and engaged by said springs; and .-1 loatingmember in asersvtowaijd each two interacting rockers, one rocker follower, for' resist` coupler; ii'imovable each toward the other; motion-re#A i-i sistiug elements, one individual to each .fol-

lower. for resisting the approach of the fol1 lowers toward -eacli other; two interacting rockers, one rocker being fiilcrumed jupon and actuatable thereby, said rockers being interposed between audiengagcd by said motion resisting elements;

and a. `floating member iii` taining' relation to said` rockers."

5.' A draft gear including a coupler; ih.- ner and-outer folloufeis actuated thereby and movable cach toward tliefotlier; sprigaone individual to ea'clifollower. for resisting the approach of the fdllowcrs toward cach other;

two interact-ingrockers.` one rocker being-,individual toeach follower ,and actuable thereby, said rockers tween and engaged by saidA springs;v

floating member bet en' 'ani ineloscd by .said rockers.

and outer followers actuated thereby 'and being interposed be;

and a movable ea'eh towardv 'the other: motionre sisting elements, one individual to 'each follower, for resisting the 'approach of the fol-V assembly inain- 'e l 125 6. A draft gear inelj'idmg a coupler; inner' y inxidingaf soulier; linf 1 @fand ,Quim oowersacmlated-therey and individu @tween wird engaged by said springs; and

i Uf said Swings. 

